Communications from County
Representatives
: deferred to end of meeting

Comments from the Audience
: Tom Viola made a
presentation regarding the possible closure of the Red Feather Lakes Elementary
School at the end of this school year. Mr. Viola researched studies of school
closures in other rural communities and offered the following possible impact
on Red Feather Lakes:

decrease
of property values and thus less taxes collected by all government
entities to serve the mountain needs

loss
of families who move because there is no local school, as well as fewer
new young families moving into the community

loss
of a vital intergenerational community; parents of children are critical
as owners, workers, and customers in local businesses, as well as
providing the backbone of the volunteer fire department; these services
make it possible for others to retire in the community and recreational
users to visit

the
PSD mill levy funded tax dollars paid by Glacier View, RFL, and Crystal
Lakes more than covers the cost of the students at the RFL school

if
the school closes, RFL elementary students will be bussed for 1-2 hours
per day (depending on where they live), which will take away from their
family, study, and play time during critical developmental years.
The risk of injury from traffic accidents also increases with the length
of time spent being bussed.

Concerned community
members asked the PAC for a resolution in support of keeping the school open,
as well as individual members communicating their concern to the School Board
and County Commissioners and signing a petition asking to keep the school open.
The final decision will be made early in December, so action needs to be taken
as soon as possible.

DISCUSSION ITEMS
:

Ted
C. asked Jill Bennett to clarify the limits and abilities of PAC in this
situation. Jill stated that PAC’s focus is mostly on land use and
community issues. She has received information from the county attorney
that it is acceptable for PAC to communicate directly with the School
Board rather than go through the County. The County and the School Board
are separate. PAC represents the community and not the County.

Gene
A. expressed his concern due to previous experience with other school
systems. He urged PAC to take a stand and point out the future financial
impact on the County and School District.

Dennis
F. cited previous experience of a school consolidation which worked well;
He expressed a desire for more information on how the School Board came to
this decision and questioned how to obtain this information.

The
concern was expressed that the community seems to have no representation
as the School District makes this decision. We have information which the
decision makers have not seen or are not attending to.

Ted
C. questioned if we could request a more in depth study of the impact on
the community of closing the school? Roger S. pointed out that the School
Board has money problems and is unlikely to spend money on an in depth
study; the best approach is to make our concerns known right away.

A motion was made by Susan
B. and seconded by Bud T. that a letter stating PAC’s objection to the school
closer be written within the next few days, approved by PAC members by email,
and sent to the School Board.

PAC members agreed to
listen to more comments from the visitors before voting on the motion:

one
person’s previous experience with trying to get more information was that
by the time they got it, the school was already closed; this community
member stated that he would move rather than have his child bussed such a
long distance.

a
retired educator stated that the facility study that has been done is
economically focused and is on the PSD web site; the Feasibility step in
the procedure is to get feedback from the community on the impact the
closure will have.

It
was pointed out that there is no way the school closure could have any
benefit to the community.

Bill G called the
question. A roll call vote was taken:

Gene Allen yes

Gene Barker absent

Susan Bradley yes

Ted Carter yes

Terry Ferebee absent

Dennis Frydendall no

Bill Gilbert yes

Eunice Michalka absent

Ross Reid yes

Lucille Schmitt yes

Michael Sledge yes

Roger Svendsen yes

Bud Thomas yes

Michael S. volunteered to
work with Judy and Tom Viola to craft the letter and send it to the PAC members
by email within 2 days.

A motion was made by
Lucille S. and seconded by Roger S. that a copy of the letter be sent to any
and all media or authority organizations. The motion passed.

A motion was made by Gene
A. and seconded by Roger S. that the meeting be extended no longer than 4:00. The
motion passed.

Road Subcommittee and
Public Hearing on October 21

Affidavits
regarding the long term use of roads (public use for 20 years) are needed
for hearing. Even a note or letter will help if a community member does
not want to do an affidavit.

Jill
Bennett shared the agenda, how the hearing will run, and possible actions/considerations
by the commissioners. She stressed the importance of presenting to the
commissioners why declaring the designated roads Public is in the best
interest of the community and the public.

Ted
C. will submit a basic presentation at the hearing

PAC
members with personal, long term experience of the roads are encouraged to
make comments at the hearing

Wood Sort Lot

Ross
R. expressed concern about slash in the sort lot. Susan B. explained that
it was not in the area used for the sorting. It is on private land and is
a temporary location for slash from pine beetle mitigation.

Jill Bennett announced
that she will be retiring at the end of this year. Rob Helmick will be the
County Representative beginning in January 1010.

RFLPAC meeting adjourned
at 4:05 p.m.

Submitted

Michael Sledge

Letter concerning potential school closure

Sent to North Forty News October 19, 2009

The Red Feather Lakes
Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) strongly supports our local elementary school
remaining open to serve the 47 children who now attend here. We do not have a
"rural school", rather we have a "community school". Providing
local elementary education, K-5 and pre-school, affects not only our children,
but the economic and social well-being of our entire greater Red Feather
community.

Red Feather Lakes area citizens paid over $2.5 million in property taxes to
Poudre School District in 2008. We do indeed "more than pay our
way", up here. Closing our school will not only reduce tax revenues to
the county and school district as
families move out. Businesses will decline and some will close. Property
values will also decline and reduce revenues to Larimer county and remaining
schools. Our children who remain will be bussed for up to 2 hours on dark,
wintry roads. Studies show that kids who spend hours on busses do not test as
well, nor do they have time for positive experiences offered after school
hours. They will be on the bus--or permanently gone from our community.

Recent studies indicate a population growth trend here of 30%, not a decline. The
13 pre-school children and many homeschoolers also support the reality of an
increase in school age students for the Red Feather district. Now is a terrible
time to close our school. The PSD credo states: "educate every child,
every day". We agree. And we count all 47 of our students and their
value to us every day.

First-look decisions made for cost-savings do not reflect the many destructive
consequences to Red Feather Lakes. PAC
believes that a more comprehensive understanding will reveal that costs will,
in fact, exceed the savings to Larimer County and to
Poudre School District budgets-- when All of the relevant
factors are considered. This frightening threat to our community compels RFL
PAC to insist that Red Feather Elementary remain open.

The Larimer County Commissioners appoint 13 area citizen applicants to serve on
the Red Feather PAC. All of us who volunteer as PAC members, our local
business owners, parents and their children, urge a complete consideration
before deciding. We are a strong and beautiful, year-round community who
desire to keep our community whole. PAC officially requests that you keep Red
Feather Elementary School Open.

Respectfully, please come
visit us. And then, come to understand the complete picture before you break
us apart.